Home › Forums › Explore Media › Oil Painting › The Technical Forum › safflower oil does it smell?
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December 29, 2012 at 4:55 pm #990435
Hi there,
I have a question; I just got a tube of Blick artist’s oil colour, and I LOVED IT!!!!!
I use paint in mass tone pretty much only, and the colour, consistency, everything out of the tube I just LOVED!!!!!
My problem is it smells very strong, and I don’t use any mediums or thinners, just the pure tube paint, the smell came right from the tube. It was really quite a strong smell!
I’m very sensitive, and my question to you more oil experienced out there, does safflower oil (which Blick is made from) smell more strong than walnut or most linseeds? Because I hear that Sennelier is also made with safflower and I would love to try it as well.
Or did I simply get a bad tube?
I like alot of artist oil brands, but the problem with their blues and greens specifically, is that they are often so dark in their mass tone, being so highly pigmented, that you can barely tell what the colour is.
I am sure all you mixers out here love and need it,:thumbsup: but I paint opaque, so and I LOVE using colours in their mass tones.
It seems that many of Blick and Sennerlier’s colours would be perfect for me but I’m nervous, do they smell?
(*****Reason for nerves, extremely sensitive, can’t handle many if not most art products. Currently using Graham and Rembrandt, but would love to expand my palette, and also have some paints with another look. I am also fond of more the expensive brands, but have not used them daily.)
Thank you so much in advance for your help.:wave:
December 29, 2012 at 5:11 pm #1176810***Update:
I just researched online and found that if safflower oil has a very strong, wrong, unpleasent smell, it may have gone rancid…it definitely smells weird.
The closest thing I can compare it to is a very strong permanent marker or very strong smelling house paint. The latter being the most accurate, might as well stick your nose into the can when painting with this tube. And I used very little amount, like a blob the size of…I’d say 2 peas.
I’m going to write to Blick and ask, but I would still love to hear what you think.
Thank you.:wave:
December 29, 2012 at 5:46 pm #1176825I’m not an expert, nor do I play one on tv. I have a few paints bound in safflower oil and to this untrained nose, they don’t smell any different than my paints that use linseed oil as the vehicle.
December 29, 2012 at 8:52 pm #1176798Anonymouswhat color is it that is stinking?
December 29, 2012 at 9:29 pm #1176811Hi, thank you for your replies.
The colour is French Ultramarine. And I LOVED IT!!!! It was so beautiful.
I was reading about safflower oil today, it says it is one of the oils that goes rancid fast and most easily. Most specifically, the safflower oil used for painting, the polyunsaturated, goes rancid fastest.
It’s recommended to keep it refrigerated.
I’m thinking maybe, because that tube was stored in a small, hot, dark place, perhaps it went rancid?
Anyway, I appreciate everyone’s help. I already emailed Blick. Nobody’s probably going to answer before Wednesday at least because of New Year’s, but I hope that it really is just this specific tube. Although that makes sense, as I don’t think all safflower oils smell this bad….:crossfingers:
December 29, 2012 at 9:31 pm #1176812I also wanted to add, that online, the smell of safflower oil is described as “delicate, a little nutty”.
It did not smell delicate, nor nutty. So perhaps that’s a sign of something wrong.
Do you think I should try putting the tube in the fridge? Will that fix it do you think?
December 30, 2012 at 12:31 am #1176804I also wanted to add, that online, the smell of safflower oil is described as “delicate, a little nutty”.
…….
I have some paints ground in safflower oil and I would say that this description is not far off. At least, it’s not a strong and unpleasant smell to my nose, but there is a smell (unlike some of my oils ground in poppy oil). I would guess that there is either something wrong with your paints, or that particular manufacturer may be adding something that smells strongly (my guess would be quick-drying siccatives, safflower oil usually dries slowly so some manufacturers try to compensate). I’m almost certain that the fridge won’t do any good.
December 30, 2012 at 2:16 am #1176813Hi,
Thank you! The additive thing makes alot of sense….. I can’t wait till Blick writes back.
Another assumption I had, have you ever had a tube of paint where the first blob you ever squeezed out of it smelled, if not strong just smelled, and then later on when you squeeze out the rest, in more uses the smell is a much better, more muted version? (And no not just because we get used to it!
I’ve had that thing happen with two tubes from a different company, and I am wondering maybe it’s the same thing here…..I don’t need much paint, I only use tiny blobs, so perhaps this first blob smelled strongly? But still……it was like way strong…..
As you can see I’m really trying to find reasons why it’s not the safflower oil itself….as I like the way it looks….. Dare I say more than most linseed oil….
Thanks again for everyone who replied. Please share if you have more opinions.
Thank you.:clap:
December 30, 2012 at 4:58 am #1176803Half-dried sunflower oil has very sharp aldehyde odor. During oxidizing process, more than 70% of oil transforms to volatile ketones, aldehydes and low molecular weight hydrocarbon acids which are strong irritants.
However, fresh sunflower oil has good odor and taste.
December 30, 2012 at 9:28 am #1176826Hi, thank you for your replies.
The colour is French Ultramarine. And I LOVED IT!!!! It was so beautiful.
I was reading about safflower oil today, it says it is one of the oils that goes rancid fast and most easily. Most specifically, the safflower oil used for painting, the polyunsaturated, goes rancid fastest.
It’s recommended to keep it refrigerated.
I’m thinking maybe, because that tube was stored in a small, hot, dark place, perhaps it went rancid?
Anyway, I appreciate everyone’s help. I already emailed Blick. Nobody’s probably going to answer before Wednesday at least because of New Year’s, but I hope that it really is just this specific tube. Although that makes sense, as I don’t think all safflower oils smell this bad….:crossfingers:
If you bought it recently and haven’t used much, can’t you just return it to the store for an exchange for a fresh tube?
Nate
December 30, 2012 at 10:30 am #1176788Paintinglover, I’m trying to stay out of solvents and anything that smells too strongly and even linseed oil has been too smelly for me. Do you find walnut oil in the M. Graham’s less smelly? I want to go back to my first love, oils, but don’t want the smells
Michelle--Respect your brain!
My website: www.miriza.com
My blog: www.miriza.com/blog
My Facebook pageDecember 30, 2012 at 12:13 pm #1176814Hi,
Thanks for the replies.
During the first few hours of drying, the smell almost completely went away. So I hope it continues in that direction rather than get worse……..
That tube was given to me a year ago, I just haven’t tried it as back then I was in acrylics. That’s why I’m thinking it may have gone rancid, it was kept in a small, dark box all year while we kept travelling and moving. The tubes I did use I obviously took good care of, but I forgot that one was sitting in the box.
Rembrandt oils and graham are virtually non smelling, which is why I use them, other than their brilliant colour and Perfect consistency which I never have to modify they are jut perfect right out of the tube.
Don’t use the Graham’s thickly though, they wrinkle as walnut is not meant to go on thick. For those techniques you’ll need a denser brand.
Although the first time I ever opened them, there was an odour for some reason, but all times after that there wasn’t.
You can believe me about the barely smell thing as I’m so sensitive I can’t even cook. I’m not allowed to be near most things that smell because of my severe allergies. Cleaning products, kitchens, most mall food-courts, many perfumes…… If I can use those brands with no problems (and I nearly fall over and stay weak for about 1-2 days if I smell stronger paint for even 10 minutes), then anyone can successfully.
Some days I don’t even open the window when it’s -30 and my family comes into my room and even They can’t tell I’ve been painting!
Thanks again everybody, please share if you have anymore. :thumbsup:
December 30, 2012 at 12:20 pm #1176799AnonymousI don’t know what is going on with this tube smelling but I can’t believe that it is due to the oil going rancid, or oxidizing and releasing aldehydes or ketones, or any other degradation processes, within a closed tube. I have never seen it in all my years of using very old tubes and I have never heard of it happening before in any other artists tubes of paint. So I would not conclude that you have some rancid oil going on there, though I am not sure what the deal is.
My best guess is that you are particularly sensitive to this particular aroma.December 30, 2012 at 12:30 pm #1176789Paintinglover, you just described me. I am THAT sensitive too. I may order a tube of each to try. Thanks for the info.
Michelle--Respect your brain!
My website: www.miriza.com
My blog: www.miriza.com/blog
My Facebook pageDecember 30, 2012 at 1:03 pm #1176815Well I sure hope that safflower’s aroma is not that of house paint as I loved using it….
I’m glad I could help! I don’t think you’ll be disappointed! They have great colours and a gorgeous consistency.
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